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Toronto Maple Leafs Roundtable: Mid-Season Awards

By Chris Okrainetz

Jan 1, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs players embrace forward Auston Matthews (34) after he scored the overtime winning goal in a 5-4 win over Detroit Red Wings in the Centennial Classic ice hockey game at BMO Field. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 1, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs players embrace forward Auston Matthews (34) after he scored the overtime winning goal in a 5-4 win over Detroit Red Wings in the Centennial Classic ice hockey game at BMO Field. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports /
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Toronto Maple Leafs
Oct 19, 2016; Winnipeg, Manitoba, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs center Mitch Marner (16) skates through the middle of the ice during the third period against Winnipeg Jets at MTS Centre. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Fedyck-USA TODAY Sports /

Biggest Surprise/Most Improved Player

Chris Okrainetz: This one was tough to decide. You could go a few routes here, whether it be Matthews’ dominance, Mitch Marner‘s rapid ascension, or even Nikita Zaitsev‘s steady play. But I have to go with Jake Gardiner, who leads all Leafs defenceman with 22 points.

Gardiner was a bit of a wild card entering this season and his style of play has drawn plenty of criticism in the past. However, he seems to have toned down that free wheel — at times careless — style of play and has developed into a dependable offensive defenceman who is now contributing in 5-on-5 play and boasts a 53.8 Corsi For percentage. He also quarterbacks the top power play unit.

If somebody told you before the season started that Gardiner was going to take this big of a step forward, I doubt many people, myself included, would have believed it.

Jake Middleton: Another close award for me between Zaitsev or Brown, but I have to go with Zaitsev because I just cannot imagine where the Leafs would be without him. For all the game tape I watched on Zaitsev before he came over, it is truly impressive watching how calm he is with the puck, and how good a defenseman he is.

The Leafs top right defenseman never gets praise but has put together an extremely impressive campaign and has effectively closed a gaping hole that was the right side of the Leafs defense. With that said, it is going to be really interesting to see how much the Leafs value him, as he is going to become a RFA this summer. My guess? Somewhere around five years and $20 million.

Dave Morassutti: People debated whether Marner would play the whole season with the Leafs and thought about sending him to the World Juniors so that he would get enough playing time while easing him into the NHL. Now there is no doubt that he is an NHL player and the fact that he has been able to do the things he has against NHL caliber defencemen is remarkable.

He is a gifted player and has taken big steps since a disappointing training camp last season where he definitely looked like a rookie. While it is not a total surprise to see what he has done, it is surprising to see him be the driving force on a line with veterans James van Riemsdyk and Tyler Bozak.

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